Monday, June 18, 2007

NewsHall of Fame Magazine looks beyond "Planet Floyd" to see that the cycling world may be the better for opening the Pandora's box of PEDs and that the discussion can now never be held in private back rooms because the beauty of sport is bigger than any one issue or person:

Landis' heartfelt plea to judge him on character as well as evidence had his fans wringing hands and squirming on saddles. Something just didn't seem right. And still doesn't. And that's the odd beauty imputed in this pathos – professional cycling will never, can never, be the same. The hazardous material response team has arrived even if we aren't sure who they are.

The CyclingNews reports that nothing much is to be expected from tomorrow's UCI pro team manager meeting which had been purported as a discussion on OP and possible rider exclusions from the upcoming Tour de France. There may however be more news from another meeting scheduled tomorrow:

However, another meeting on the same day might prove more interesting.The International Professional Cycling Teams (IPCT) will debate which members uphold its Code of Ethics, and which members risk expulsion because they do not uphold it. While the IPCT cannot enforce its decision, it could influence the Tour de France organizers who have indicated that they might make exclusions to the race's start list.

"It is time for names to be named," said Gerolsteiner team manager Hans-Michael Holczer to Tagesspiegel.de. "It is an unbearable situation that some 200 blood bags from alleged Fuentes clients are stored in Spain, and with a with a DNA comparison we could find out which rider they belong to. But which we can't do right now under the law."

BlogsPhantom Reflections is ruminating on doping and the Tour de France. He applauds Ivan Basso for coming forward and thinks that Floyd Landis, though innocent, is a sacrifice to doping politics:

Floyd got caught up in the doping politics. It has destroyed him, his finances, and turned many fans away from cycling. The politics within the sport need to be ripped away so we can get back to racing. There is no doubt in my mind that we have cheaters, and we will in the future. But let's be honest about the testing process and enforcement.

CFLcyclist thinks that "Positively False" is a good read, and is well written and entertaining. He does however cite EPO as the PED Floyd is accused of using which is incorrect.

Male Pattern Fitness considers society's selective indignation about PEDs in sport to reflect our ambivalence about all kinds of drug use. He agrees with criticism of WADA, but not with the thought drugs are not a problem in sport.

Dugard spent the weekend with his family in Mammouth before sending his oldest off for a week back East, and read about Ivan Basso and Floyd Landis. Thus Marty, who was the original ghost writer for "Positively False", found himself upset about the Basso situation, and frustrated and angry with what he read about Floyd's book.

Velogal got a correction from Rep. Zoe Lofgren, now admitting USADA gets US Government funding, and referring VG to Henry Waxman. Velogal was grateful for some follow up, but not overly impressed by Lofgren's memory -- she was on a committee that USADA's funding passed through.

Chris Butler Dopers Suck shows us a picture illustrating why interviews during the recently held Teva Mountain Games were no walk in the park for Floyd Landis. Classy guy.

Team-Armada is about 1/2 way through "Positively False", and thinks it is candid and revealing, and recommends it to anyone interested in competitive cycling.

Podium Cafe is disgusted with Floyd Landis, and didn't want to buy "Positively False" but got it for the early chapters when Floyd was still someone he could like. It's self serving ephemera according to PC, he suggests waiting for it to hit the bargain bins. It's turning into one snarky day.

You're right - the picture of the guy shadowing FL is really, really funny. Not may people would spend their time in such a productive and well thought out approach to alleged doping. And it's great that you picked up the photo and ran with it - you are a really cool guy too. The only problem is that the person wearing the t-shirt is infinitely more qualified to do the drug testing than the hacks at WADA/LNDD. Would you want your reputation and livelihood at the mercy of people with 6 months on the job? People who make up procedures as they go along? People who over-ride the software in order to get the numbers to match up where they want them to be? The dude should be wearing a t-shirt that says "LNDD LAB RATS SUCK".

It's so easy to join in the mob mentality of guilty until proven innocent...We should all be thankful FL has fought against this corrupt system.

Would someone please explain why WADA needed to have cash on hand of over $22 MILLION at the end of 2006??? And why they have accumulated $19 MILLION in assets from "income over expenses brought foward" from 2002 forward???? Take a look at their audited 2006 financials at:

Review the income statement. $22 million comes from the countries who participate prior to the year. Then there is $6M in slaries and defined benefits for retirement, $3M in travel and accomodations (I wonder if this is first class and not coach airfare). $2M in testing fees, $4M in research grants, nearly $1M in Project Consulting fees. But why is Administration a separate line item at $2.7M? IT costs of $1.3M (very cheap).... at the bottom line they have $4M left over. Another interesting chart is on page 15/16 called Annual contributions. It is amazing how the beaucracy gets started with small change and then the funding grows.

What I would like to see is how much did each country contribute. I would also like to see how much is spent in legal fees from both WADA and USADA in their pursuit of truth.

Total Poindexter Website Prize: to the fabulous geniuses over at trustbutverify, who not only are perhaps the most impassioned defenders of Floyd Landis' virtue beyond only the boy himself, but actually seem to understand the detailed scientific arguments they put out that the rest of us (well, me) are too stupid to even coherently summarize. Floyd, you better be innocent, or you owe these folks a *major* freakin' apology! (racejunkie)

"Who does awards for blogs? I sense a nomination is in order." (Carlton Reid, of BikeBiz)

"Hands-down champion of full-and I mean full-coverage of this hearing is the blog Trust But Verify. You'll have to have excellent background knowledge of the issues, and wade through page after page of detail to get to anything interesting, but it's raw and unfiltered and all there. The guy who runs the site, a cycling fan from Northern California, began casually providing a clearinghouse for Landis case news nearly 10 months ago, and now he has the haunted look of a man whose life has been hijacked and wants it back. (Loren Mooney, co-author of Positively False, at Bicycling)

"if you want the latest news on the Floyd Landis case, Trust but Verify is the go-to site. The author is biased in favor of Floyd (so am I) but the reporting is neutral and comprehensive." (12string musings)

About Me

About Us (Admissions)

TBV is personally biased towards Floyd. I think it'll be a better world if he proves his innocence, and some inquisitors meet their own just ends. Interspersed between daily link roundups are pieces of commentary slanted towards understanding what will prove innocence in the discipline proceeding, and what will rehabilitate his reputation in the public eye. Make of them what you will. Agreement with me is not required, though I am right.